1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus for displaying an image on a display surface in which light guide elements are arranged in parallel with each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a liquid crystal display, plasma display, and various display devices have been developed as a display module for a display apparatus. The demand for these display devices is now increasing concomitantly with the start of the terrestrial digital media broadcasting, and the popularization of the Internet and cellular phone. Further, as for these displays, development of a large-sized display corresponding to a large-screen TV is demanded in addition to a small-sized display to be mounted on a mobile device, and the demand for the large-screen display is also increasing.
In the conventional display, matrix wiring is provided on a glass substrate and, particularly in the liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor is provided at an intersection point of the matrix wiring. In the thin film processing, a semiconductor manufacturing process is used. Accordingly, in order to meet the demand for upsizing of the display, a large-sized equipment capable of performing a semiconductor manufacturing process on a large glass substrate is required, and hence a problem is caused that the amount of investment in the production line becomes enormous. Further, in the formation of the matrix wiring based on the thin film process, the wiring resistance becomes large concomitantly with the upsizing, and thus in a large-screen display, a signal delay resulting from the wiring resistance becomes a problem.
As a method of solving these problems, as disclosed in JP-A 2005-221590 (KOKAI), a display using light guide elements is proposed. In this display, a plurality of elongated light guide elements such as optical fibers are prepared, arranged in parallel with each other on a flat surface, and a front surface of the light guide elements of the parallel arrangement makes the display surface. Light beams from light sources are introduced from the end faces of the light guide elements arranged in parallel with each other into the light guide elements, guided in the light guide elements, and the light beams are extracted from arbitrary positions on the light guide elements so as to form light spot. In a display provided with a display surface in which light guide elements are arranged in parallel with each other, an image is displayed as a formation of a plurality of light spots from which the light beam is taken out.
In a display apparatus having such a structure, it is also possible to separate the light sources from the display surface, and select adequate light sources having a high efficiency. Further, if the light guide element is constituted of an optical fiber, there is an advantage that it is possible to realize a flexible display utilizing the flexibility of the optical fiber. In an example, there are prepared a plurality of displays each having a display surface in which light guide elements are arranged in parallel with each other, and it is also possible to realize a large-screen display by tiling a wall surface using the plural displays.
In a display apparatus for displaying an image on a display surface in which light guide elements are arranged in parallel with each other, a plurality of scanning lines are arranged in parallel with each other to intersect the light guide elements of the parallel arrangement, light sources, and a drive circuit for driving the light sources are arranged on one side of the display as to be opposed to the end faces of the light guide elements, and a scanning signal generation module for supplying a scanning signal to the scanning lines is arranged on the other side of the display in the extension direction of the light guide elements. That is, in the same manner as the conventional liquid crystal display, or a plasma display, a light source and a light source drive module are arranged on one side of a display having a rectangular shape, and a scanning signal generation module is arranged on the other side of the display intersecting the one side thereof.
Accordingly, in the display apparatus having such a structure, if the display surfaces are juxtaposed, a scanning signal generation module is inevitably provided between displays, and hence there is a problem that a non-display area in which no image is displayed is formed between displays. That is, when displays are arranged in a tiling manner to realize a big-screen display apparatus, there is a problem that dead spaces are formed at joints between displays, and the image quality is significantly deteriorated.
Further, although the display has flexibility, the scanning signal generation modules around the display are each constituted of a circuit board, and have no flexibility, thereby posing a problem that the apparatus cannot be deformed into a compact size and stored in a small space with utilizing the flexibility of the display.
From such a background, although the display in which the light guide elements are arranged in parallel with each other latently has the excellent features of the flexibility, and the possibility of upsizing of the display screen, there is a problem in the display apparatus for displaying an image that the features cannot be fully exhibited.
Accordingly, in the display apparatus having such a structure, there is the problem that if the display surfaces are juxtaposed, scanning signal generation modules are inevitably arranged between the display surfaces, and non-display areas in which no images are displayed are formed between the display surfaces.